Dangerous Fall In Good Company

Drowning takes many lives and I do not want my fellow Backpackers to be a part of it.Never play with water if you do not know swimming.Always talk to the locals about the water conditions before you take a plunge.I have read many articles on Tubing in Laos and how it is banned now.Our life is precious.Live to enjoy life and do not venture for the sake of fun.Below I give some statistics about the loss of human life in US for Travel Enthusiasts.

When Parks Turn Fatal

Hike SMARTER

S-Stay hydrated(Drink plenty of water and Electrolyte drinks)

M-Move to the shades very often

A-Avoid hiking in the heat of the day

Travel Bites-Go By The Culinary Book

As I go on Globe trotting I come across Hostel;s,Home stays ,Street Joints where  I experience the taste of Local food at affordable prices.Being a vegetarian I have to see the food preparation with my own eyes before ordering them.Many times these little street chiefs give a big smile when I order my vegetarian combination to them and they are happy to see me devouring the food and not wasting anything.In places where I cannot communicate with the chefs like in Hongkong I am satisfied with Bread,Bun and fresh fruit juices.But I strictly follow these rules when I order my food.

1.There are several apps to check your food if it is safe to consume or not.

2.Avoid cut vegetables and fruits.Buy whole new ones and slice them yourself.

Visa : Visa On Arrival At Phuket,Thailand

Thailand is a favourite place for Backpackers from all over the world.This was made possible by the shooting of the film The Beach acted by Leonardo Decaprio in one of the uninhibited islands in 70 s and now a destination packed with Tourists throughout the year.Maya Bay the main attraction in Phuket will be filled with Tourists  and speed boats when you see it at Mid day.

Visa : Visa On Arrival At Manila Airport,Philippines

It is a nightmare for Backpackers to visit Embassy and stamp their passport with visa sanction to enter a country.But off late many countries are wooing Tourists with no visa fees for a stay of 14 days in their country.It helps many families to enter the country and see the places of interest without shelling any currency towards fees.The Air fares are also very cheap if you travel from major airports like Kulalumpur in Malaysia.Many Philippines air lines have a very attractive discount fares to reach Manila.

Visa : Visa On Arrival At Surabaya Airport In Indonesia

We were relieved of the trouble going to an embassy and submitting our request for Visa and waiting to get them stamped.When we arrived in Surabaya Airport in Indonesia from Singapore we were welcomed with a Visa on arrival facility and the process was very simple.As we had exchanged USD 25 for each of us to get the Visa stamped on arrival it hardly took 3 minutes to get the Visa stamped and we were in a line to the Immigration counter.Mostly the locals were returning from work in our flight our Immigration process was very simple.As my daughter had the Singapore ID card and stay permit not much questions were asked.The Visa officer asked where we are going straight.I told him that I am going to Probolinggo.He could not get it correct.

Hitch Hiking, Is It A Better Option In Philippines

Many times I come across Blogs which talks about Hitch hiking a better way to travel to keep your budget under control.I have been travelling to many countries in SE Asia and have not come accross anyone suggesting this as a better method to have a safe travel.But may be  I will try with a Truck driver or with a family going on a long journey from city to city when I plan my Europe tour next year

                            

FAT Truths-Hiking Information In Country Parks In Hongkong

The Hongkong country parks provide a great variety of hiking and recreation facilities for a pleasant day outing.But to enjoy a safe and memorable day outing one has to read the following.After reading now I have made a handout and refer to these points before venturing a trail.

Know your hiking ability 

1.Sleep well on the night before your excursions to ensure your feeling mentally and physically strong

2.Carefully plan your route before setting out.Always bring a map and inform your family and partner about where you are going and when will you return

3.Most trails can be walked and enjoyed by visitors with a wide range of ability.But for some longer and higher trails hikers must be experienced and fit.Please refer to the safety points posted for the parks in the net.

20 Years Of Travel Blogging

A Guest Post

Today 6 th Jan marks the 20th anniversary of a milestone few people recall.

Like other anniversaries falling on this day — the Invasion of Cayenne during the Napoleonic Wars, for example, or the birthday of physician Percivall Pott in 1714 — it has been bulldozed beneath the heavy blade of history. A specific study of January 6th, 1994 reveals only one noteworthy event: Nancy Kerrigan being clubbed on the knee at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

But it was on that same day in 1994 that I walked into the Tourism Bureau in Oaxaca, Mexico, and attempted a maddening but ultimately successful feat: uploading the first travel blog post ever made on the Internet.

A bit of backstory here.

How To Travel Frugally-For Backpackers

All the information available in Social Media makes it difficult for Backpackers to decide the nature of application for getting the Visa to enter a country.One gets confused and ends up paying more than what is required for his stay in the country.Else a traveller spends more time in a city just waiting for the visa papers to be processed.I have made a synopsis of the countries in which I have travelled or intend to travel in the days to come.

COUNTRY	NEED	VOA	VISA FEE	DURATION	EXTN	E VISA	WHERE
THAILAND	YES	AVL	1000 BAHT	14 / 60	NO	NO	AIRPORT/EMBASSY
CAMBODIA	YES	AVL	20 USD	30 D	NO	AVL	LAND/AIRPORT/EMBASSY
VIETNAM	YES	AVL	65 USD	30  / 90 D	NO	NO	LAND/AIRPORT/EMBASSY
LAOS	YES	AVL	40 USD	30 D	NO	AVL	LAND/AIRPORT/EMBASSY
MYANMAR	YES	NO	20 USD	28 D	NO	NO	AIRPORT/EMBASSY
INDONESIA	YES	YES	25 USD	60 D	YES	NO	LAND/AIRPORT/EMBASSY
SINGAPORE	YES	NO	40 SGD	30 D	YES	NO	EMBASSY
MALAYSIA	YES	YES	20 UKP	1 YEAR	NO	NO	EMBASSY
PHILIPPINES	YES/NO	YES	40 USD	14 / 30 D	YES	NO	AIRPORT/EMBASSY
HONGKONG/MACAU	YES/NO	YES	30 USD	14 / 30 D	YES	NO	AIRPORT/EMBASSY
BRUNEI	YES	NO	20 USD	39 D	NO	NO	EMBASSY

Hongkong Entry-Paper Bit Visa in Passport

I have seen Visas being affixed by Embassies in Passport.I have come across E Visa issued by countries.I have experienced Visa being laminated in Passports at the port of entry by countries.Also Visa On Arrival being stamped by many countries.But when I entered Hongkong a rude surprise awaited me.The officer coolly took a paper bit printout like one gets in Super markets and stapled it in one of the pages in my Passport.I was astonished to see this.

11 Things You Must Plan When Doing a Trail

I am no exception when I plan a Walking or Hiking trail,I always feel that I am fit enough to do so any length at any point of age.But I have made mistakes in the past .I want you to prepare yourself well in advance usually 4 weeks before undertaking a trail.Well I give below some points in my Travel quip

10 Things to Do Before Becoming a World Traveller

Every ones dream is to travel around the world and experience the culture and people.But to make this happen one has to have a good health ,neat habits and flare for Travel.The world is open to all who dare to travel and enjoy the un spoilt nature in its own surroundings.

Here are my favourite Travel Quips to prepare yourself the long journey of Travelling around the World.